Stanford Inn Launches As America's First Vegan Resort

Vegans everywhere rejoice! After years of bringing granola bars on every vacation just in case you can't eat anything on the menu, sitting uncomfortably on leather resort furniture and looking the other way as your travel companions sample non-vegan delicacies you can't stomach, there is finally a place where you can eat everything on the menu, and enjoy yourself without the slightest hint of guilt.

Located near the Big River Estuary on California's Mendocino Coast, the Stanford has long been dedicated to sustainability and environmental awareness. The on-site restaurant, Ravens', has been vegan-friendly for years. Recently, the owners decided it was time to go completely vegan throughout the resort.

Aside from vegan cuisine, Stanford also offers canoe and kayak trips through the estuary; a Living Well center for yoga, tai chi, acupuncture and Ayurveda; local food, wine, art and crafts; and an on-site greenhouse with a lap pool inside. Parts of the acreage have been converted to an organic farm and a grazing pasture for horses, donkeys and llamas.

But for vegan vacationers, the true draw here will be the food. Ravens' offers dishes like a Portobello Benedict, Sea Palm Spicy Peanut Curry and Hazelnut-Almond Encrusted Tempeh (with a Sriracha maple glaze!), and desserts include a live Citrus Cheesecake. Not all the wines on the menu are vegan, but they are primarily organic and sustainably farmed.

Stanford Inn has made a tremendous step forward with its commitment to veganism, and we applaud its work. Next time you're traveling to California, stop in and give them our compliments.